The invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for managing lengths of extended flexible elements whose ends are both either fixed or inaccessible. Optical fibers, for example, are often used to connect components within a limited space. As an illustrative example, fiber management devices are used in applications wherein fiber-carrying cables are joined within a containment enclosure to other cables or components. When such cable junctions are made, one or more optical fibers issue from the end of the cable in which they are imbedded. The ends of these fibers go to attachment points of the component or other cable to which the cable is terminated. Excess fiber, always needed to complete the process, is stored within the enclosure. Because both ends of the fiber are fixed, it cannot simply be wound on a reel. If it were, each turn around the reel would result in a half-turn torque on the fiber. To avoid that torque and the concomitant twisting resulting from it, it is well known to arrange the fiber in a figure eight configuration. That way there is a turn of the fiber in one sense followed immediately by a turn in the other sense, thereby cancelling out the torque. Additionally, optical fibers must not be stored while bent in a radius that is less than the minimum allowable for the fiber. If bent at a lesser radius, there is unacceptable loss of the optical signal propagating within the fiber; and, if bent too sharply the fiber can be damaged. Termination enclosures are kept as small as possible in order to facilitate handling, and to reduce cost. Therefore, in the management of excess fiber within a termination enclosure the usual goals are to configure the fiber as a “figure-eight’ while minimizing both the diameter and axial length of the managed fiber commensurate with the fiber's minimum allowable bend radius. The foregoing example is only one of many that could be cited wherein optical fibers must be managed in a compact figure-eight configuration. Alternatively, there are applications wherein length minimization is not required, and wherein a somewhat open environment is desirable. There is a wide range of applications for simple, compact fiber management devices.
Existing art, some of which is described herein, does not completely fulfill the needs of these applications. It is, therefore, advantageous to have an improved device and method to manage optical fibers whose ends are both either fixed or inaccessible.